This invention relates in general to therapeutic body wraps, and in particular relates to an improved body wrap for supporting hot or cold packs in close proximity to localized portions of the anatomy.
The application of heat or cold to various parts of the anatomy is a recognized practice for curing or alleviating various kinds of physical problems. For example, it is known to apply ice packs in an effort to reduce swelling associated with bruises or various types of surgery. It is also known to apply heat to various portions of the body in an effort to alleviate discomfort caused by muscular strain or the like.
Many devices are known for applying localized heat or cold to the anatomy. The conventional heating pad and ice bag are two examples of such prior art. While these and other similar devices meet their functional goal of heating or cooling localized portions of the body, these devices generally lack any provision for easy, quick, and secure attachment to the body portion being treated. The conventional ice bag, for example, must be manually held in place, either by the person undergoing treatment or by a nurse or aide attending the patient.
Various expedients have been proposed in an effort to maintain hot or cold packs in place on the patient's body. One commonplace expedient in hospitals and the like simply involves wrapping a towel around the affected body portion and an ice bag placed on the body, in an effort to hold in place the ice pack. For example, an ice bag is prepared and then placed against a body portion such as a patient's forehead. With the ice bag thus positioned, a towel is wrapped several times around the patient's head, with the ice bag sandwiched between the head and the innermost layer of towel. A safety pin then is attached through the free outer end of the towel and several inner layers, to prevent the towel from becoming unwound.
The foregoing technique not only is cumbersome and awkward to apply, it is also less than effective. The use of towels in this fashion is at best but a makeshift arrangement, and seldom maintains the hot or cold pack in its desired location. If the towel is wrapped tightly enough to keep the ice pack (for example) securely in place, the tightly-wrapped towel may well be uncomfortable and unpleasant to the patient. If the towel is less tightly wrapped in order to reduce patient discomfort and permit some freedom of movement, the ice pack soon slips away from its desired location on the body. Consequently, the use of towels to support hot or cold packs is at best undesirable, and can be unsatisfactory for many applications.
Various attempts have been made to provide body wraps or bands for the specific purpose of holding in place a hot or cold pack such as an ice bag or the like. These prior-art efforts typically employ various kinds of elastic bandage-like structures for holding the heat-transfer pack in place against the body, and as a result have been deficient in the ability to retain the packs in place while minimizing discomfort to the patient.